The King's Bespoke 1941 Cadillac is For Sale

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A Cadillac custom built for royalty.

There are Cadillac limousines and there are Cadillac limousines built for a king. This one is the latter. Well, kind of. King Edward VIII was King of England for less than year before he abdicated the throne in order to marry a twice-divorced American socialite- a major no-no for the British monarchy. But Edward was still a prince and the son of a king, so after abdicating, he and his new wife became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The pair traveled the world and whenever they went to New York, this one-off 1941 Cadillac was their ride of choice.

Nicknamed "The Duchess," the car’s styling foreshadowed the streamlined look of many future Cadillacs. Not a single body panel on the Windsor’s car matched any other 1941 Cadillac. The hood, trunk, fenders, fender skirts, roof and doors were all hand-crafted. The interior was also entirely bespoke. The floors are covered in Wilton wool carpet and the seats were upholstered in rose-colors custom broadcloth. There were also fitted satin privacy curtains, electric windows, cigar lighters, jewelry compartments and walnut finish. The car was sold in 1952 and it disappeared until 2009 when its then owner restored it. RM Auctions predicts the Caddie will sell for around £360,000-£500,000.